Judges In Ghana Deny Receiving Ex Gratia Every Four Years As Reported In The Wake Of Togbe Afede’s Refund

• Judges in Ghana have denied assertions that they are included in the category of public office holders who receive fat ex gratia every four years
• The Association of Magistrates and Judges Ghana (AMJG) has released a statement on Tuesday to set the records straight
• The AMJG wants the public to ignore and reject the reports because no superior judge has ever received any such benefit

The Association of Magistrates and Judges Ghana (AMJG) has said no superior court judge receives ex gratia every four years.

In a statement, the Association said claims that the judges are paid ex gratia are wrong and should be ignored.

“The association would like to state categorically that no superior court judge is or has been paid ex gratia every four years as is being wrongly stated in the media,” a statement issued on Tuesday, June 21 said.

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Following Togbe Afede XIV’s decision to return a colossal ex gratia paid him by the state, public debate about the allowances paid to specific categories of public office holders came to the fore.

It was rumoured that the Justices of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, and the High Court, all Article 71 officeholders received ex gratia every four years.

However, the Association said that assertion is false.

“The AMJG has followed the discussions on the payment of Ex-Gratia to some Article 71 office holders and has noted with dismay the false and malicious allegation that judges of the Superior Courts (Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and High Court Judges) are paid ex gratia at the end of every four years.

“The AMJG would like to state without any equivocation, whatsoever that, that allegation is false and baseless,” he noted.

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Togbe Afede returned his huge ex gratia to awake the nation’s conscience - Prof Azar

YEN.com.gh reported earlier that Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, known popularly as Prof Azar, has said Togbe Afede XIV returned his ex gratia to draw attention to outrageous payments in the public sector.

The US-based Ghanaian private legal practitioner thinks that although the decision by the paramount chief Asogli State to return the GH¢365,392 is commendable, praise was not what he wanted.

“Rather, he returned it to draw our attention, [wake] our conscience, and push us to insist on the reform of a predatory emolument regime that transfers huge and outrageous amounts to a few people who volunteer to serve POOR Ghana," said Prof Azar.

Source: YEN.com.gh